A voluntary controlled school (VC school) is a state-funded school in England and Wales in which a foundation or trust (usually a Christian denomination) has some formal influence in the running of the school. Such schools have less autonomy than voluntary aided schools, in which the foundation pays part of any building costs.
Originally the term is derived from the funding of the schools through voluntary subscriptions and contributions. Although it is also the case that these are schools previously independent of local or national government that volunteered to be controlled by the state.